Fashion Week special – what Spring/Summer trends will work for you in 2016?

Tamsin reviews the spring/summer 16 trends and checks out which key looks are most likely to step easily from catwalk to high street.

The main thing to remember is that trends are there for inspiration only. No one expects you to slavishly follow a trend anymore. As the creative director of one of the high street’s biggest players told me recently, it’s all about dressing for who you are. But sometimes we all need a nudge to get out of our comfort zones. So here are a few pointers for your next shopping trip.

Sleeves are huge for spring/summer 16

Sleeves haven’t been this big since well, 1820, when fashionable ladies in France used their leg-of-mutton sleeves to accentuate their small waists. This season, those of us who like a sleeve are spoilt for choice. JW Anderson, the label designed by the Irishman Jonathan Anderson, had the biggest, barmiest sleeves on the catwalks. And you can be sure there will be some interesting sleeve shapes on the high street.

Look for volume around the wrist rather than the shoulder. You may even be tempted by a big shoulder or two, because while the 70s influence is still there, the 80s is also going strong.

Gucci is hot news

One of the biggest things to happen to fashion for the new season is Gucci. The glamorous Italian fashion house has a new designer and he’s really shaking things up. The look is eccentric and eclectic – kooky mixes of colour and clashes of print and texture. There are long flouncy skirts with extra frills, Nudie-style western rodeo suits with floral appliqués, Lurex sparkle, oversized glasses, turbans, Purdy hairstyles, pink, green, stripes, you name it, it’s there. It’s not a look for everyone, but there is enough going on to find an element you like.

Stripes, flats, lace and other welcome returns

Elsewhere, there are stripes, there are many shades of white, shoes are flat, lace is everywhere, skirts are short, long and in between, jeans are boyfriend, girlfriend and mom (really, who wears mom jeans who is actually a mum?). Blouses are really rather a great idea. Oh, and green is a thing, a colour you might consider wearing. If it all sounds a little confusing, don’t worry. It just means there is a lot of choice out there and it’s a good time to try something new.

Something for the guys

“Try something new” is the mantra for men too. Not since the dandies of the 19th century has there been so much dressing-up potential for men. There’s colour, stripes (but please try not to do his ’n’ hers matching) and some really wonderfully bohemian all-over floral suits. For daily wear, trousers are still pretty skinny (unless your legs aren’t, in which case there are also baggy trousers), there are pastel colours, powder blue, some double-breasted jackets, floral bomber jackets (that’ll be Gucci again). Interestingly, there are also quite a few frills and flamboyant touches if you want to discover your more feminine side, as well as some very cool bowling shirts. The lumberjack has also morphed into the sailor so don’t be surprised if the men in your life start borrowing your favourite Breton top!

And for the rest of the family…

Children have some of the best clothes to choose from this season. I always wish my children’s clothes came in big sizes (though my teenage daughter’s feet are now bigger than mine, she is wearing Topshop Petite and seems to have left the innocence of children’s departments behind). The ideas for menswear, women and children often cross over and there is a lot of inspiration from the idea of the exotic, with tropical flora and fauna, florals, and sea creatures.

So for the whole family one thing’s for sure: it’s definitely a season for adventure.